That's Amore
by BLeigh93
Summary: A new student enrolls at Ouran. She's Velia Vita, an athletic beauty who just moved from Italy. She's brash, she's outspoken, she's not too fond of the host club, and...she has seemingly no background, frustrating Kyouya to no end. As Kyouya begins to dig, he uncovers a past life hidden for a reason. But is his snooping putting her into danger?
1. Chapter 1

**Woohoo! Here goes my second story! This story is going to be told through the first person point of view of Velia and third person, switching off ever so often (so you can kind of get Kyouya's perspective). **

**If you haven't already, check out my other story "Silence Is Golden". **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran :( **

**Now ENJOY!**

* * *

"Tsutomu I'm ready to leave for school, please get the car ready. And do it quickly please, I have a lot of work to do before class," Kyouya snapped at his personal chauffeur as he grabbed his blazer from the back of his chair and pulled it on. He quickly buttoned up the front, brushed it down to remove any unseemly wrinkles, and walked briskly to the door. A maid was waiting nearby to hand him his messenger bag, which he grabbed roughly from her hands as he exited the Ootori family mansion.

It was the first day of the new school year and Kyouya was already fuming due to Tamaki's antics. The "moronic idiot", as Kyouya had taken to calling Tamaki under his breath all morning, had called him at 5:30 a.m. to discuss host club business. Everyone knew that he did not like to be woken up any sooner than 7:15 (so he had just enough time to shower, get dressed, skip breakfast, and make it to school for classes to begin promptly at 8:30). Thus, his morning had been utterly ruined by "his highness's" abhorrent sleep schedule.

Kyouya walked down the front drive of their estate to his limousine where Tsutomu was already waiting, holding the door open for him. He ducked in to the backseat, throwing his bag to the ground and pulling out his laptop, immediately setting to work on the club's funds.

"How are we already over budget?" Kyouya muttered to himself, glaring at the numbers on the screen. "That little sweets hoarding miscreant and "our prince's" outlandish cosplay themes are going to bankrupt our club!"

He whipped out his cellphone, quickly pressing the pattern of numbers he called far too often. He heard it ring only twice before the overly cheery (for 7 a.m. let alone anytime) voice of the one and only Tamaki Suou answered loudly, "KYOUYA!"

He held the phone away from his ear so his eardrums would not burst from the incessant cries of "mon ami". Eventually he had to talk though, so Kyouya shouted into the phone, "Oh stop. I'm still angry with you for waking me up this morning; you are not getting off easily for that. I know you're cowering in the corner now too, and you should stay there because I'm also here to yell at you for the overspending of our budget. How could you spend almost 3 million yen on…this just says light fixtures!"

There was a pause on the other end before a whimpering Tamaki started to speak. "I bought a chandelier. I thought we could start off with a Phantom of the Opera theme. I know how much the girls love the mystery and romance of the pha…" and that was when Kyouya hung up. Sighing, he leaned into his seat and closed his eyes. The day had barely started and he wished nothing more than to retreat to his bedroom and fall back into his wonderfully comfortable, king sized, down comforter-covered bed. Just thinking about it was making him tired again. He looked at his watch, saw there was still a good 20 minutes until his limo would reach the grounds of Ouran Academy, and decided to allow himself a quick nap.

He called to Tsutomu to turn on some quiet classical music, and soon he drifted into unconsciousness. But he did not remain there for very long. He was jarred out of his sleep when he felt Tsutomu slam on the breaks.

"Tsutomu, is everything all right?" Kyouya questioned his driver.

"Yes Master Kyouya, a girl just ran in front of the car, that's all. I had to hit the breaks so as not to hit her," Tsutomu answered back.

"Well very nice reflexes," Kyouya began, "but why aren't we driving again?"

"Well, you see Master Kyouya," the driver hesitated, "the girl is now standing in front of the car and she does not seem to want to move."

* * *

I ran down the stairs into the kitchen of our small two-story house. My mother was already there cooking breakfast, which smelled absolutely delicious and was making my mouth water. Trying to be inconspicuous, I snatched a piece of bacon from a plate next to the stove where she was flipping pancakes. My mother was not having my antics however, snapping her spatula down on my hand.

"Wait until I'm done please, Velia," my mother admonished me, resuming her pancake flipping. Rubbing the back of my hand I stuck my tongue out at her, I being the ever-mature 16 years old that I was. I sat down at the table, pulling my feet up under me and deciding on grabbing an apple from our table center fruit bowl instead of waiting for my mom to finish.

"Are you ready for your first day, Vee?" my mother asked. She had started to call me Vee, considering I hated the name Velia. I sighed, putting my head in my hands.

"Absolutely not. Why do I have to go to this particular school again? I don't exactly want to hang around a bunch of rich snobs. Why couldn't I just go to a normal public school?" I questioned her.

She sighed. "We've gone over this before. Ouran Academy has the best security, being that it is a private school. It's the best way to keep you safe."

I bit down into the apple in my hand, grimacing. Ouran Academy sounded like pure torture. Excessively wealthy teenagers were not the kind of people I wanted to associate with. And the uniform they had sent over for me? That was pure torture as well. There was no way in hell I was wearing that oversized yellow marshmallow to school. At least at the end of the day I could get back out on the track. My spikes were itching to be worn again, and I hadn't jumped into a nice sandpit in ages.

My mother set out two plates with eggs, pancakes, and bacon on the table. I pulled one over immediately and started to shovel food into my mouth.

"Velia, eat like a lady. I swear, the only reason I know you're a girl is because I bore you," my mother said as she daintily cut up her pancakes.

I rolled my eyes at her, but started to eat slower. I still finished pretty quickly, pushing away from the table when I was done. I picked up my plate and put it in the sink before returning to my room to get ready for the day. But first, I had to go on my morning run. I changed out of my pajamas into a pair of spandex running shorts and a sports bra, then put on my socks and running shoes. I ran my fingers through my shoulder length hair to tame it the best I could and then pulled it up into a small ponytail.

I jogged out my door and took the stairs two at a time. I yelled a quick "see ya mom!" as I leapt through the front door. I sighed as I felt the wind pushing at my back. I might have been in a new town, in a completely new country, but at least I could still run. As long as there was a place for me to run, whether it was a dirt road or a track, I would always feel free.

I sprinted down the street, around a corner, and onto the main street, making sure I kept my proper running form. I envisioned a baton in my hand as I ran, preparing myself for when I could get back on a relay team. As much as I loved my other sports, nothing could ever compare with the feeling of crossing the finish line first. Another turn. I smiled; _maybe today won't turn out so badly, _I thought.

I thought too soon. I saw a crosswalk in front of me and started across it when a limousine pulled up. I jumped out of the way as the limo slammed on its brakes, narrowly missing my heels.

"Merda!" I yelled, as I stumbled forward. _What the hell are they thinking! Don't pedestrians have the right-of-way?!_

Angered, I stormed back and put one hand on the hood of the limousine before it could pull away. I was going to talk to the owner of the vehicle whether they liked it or not.

I waited, tapping my foot and scowling at the front window. Finally I heard a car door open and I saw a head of black hair lean out. As the figure stood up I gulped. Said figure was very attractive. _Well, I wasn't expecting that._

* * *

Kyouya rolled his eyes and grimaced. "I don't have time for this right now," he angrily muttered. Nevertheless, he pushed the car door open and stepped out. As he straightened up, he looked to the front of the car where the girl was impatiently standing. The back of his neck suddenly felt very warm as her took her in, however.

She was tall and wearing very short, tight black spandex and a bright green sports bra, showing off her muscular legs and her well-defined abs. Her bangs were sticking to her forehead with sweat, and the rest of her hair was pulled up into a small ponytail. But her eyes – they were silver. Not grey or hazel, but silver, and large. Well, now they were narrowing at Kyouya in anger, but the silver could still be seen shining through.

Straightening his blazer, he walked towards the girl. "Excuse me, but if you don't mind I need to be getting to school. So would you kindly remove your hand from my vehicle and move along?"

"Like hell I will!" she spat at him. "Your driver almost ran me over. I just wanted to go for a nice morning jog, not get decapitated by a snobby goody-goody's limousine!"

Kyouya was shocked; he was not used to being talked to in such a manner, let alone by a female. And was that an accent he heard in her voice?

"I beg your pardon, what did you just call me?" he asked incredulously.

The girl rolled her eyes. "You heard me. I called you a snobby goody-goody."

Kyouya's eyes flashed as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and reached for his phone. "Do you know who I am? I could easily have you arrested for harassment right now."

"As a matter of fact, I'm new in town, so no I don't know who you are. But where are my manners?" She bowed down, dramatically sweeping one arm back. "My name is Velia Vita," she paused, then looking straight into Kyouya's eyes she spat, "your highness."

At this point, Kyouya was about to snap. He had never been so disrespected in his life. "That's it. If you do not move this instant, I will call my police squad. I have no time to deal with you this morning."

With that the girl straightened back up, putting her hands up defensively in front of her. "Woah, woah. Fine, I'm leaving. Ok?" She started backing away. "No need to call the police, alright?" The girl still looked majorly peeved, but getting arrested would probably have put a damper in her morning.

Kyouya slowly re-pocketed his cellphone. "Fine, I'll let you off the hook this time, since you're new here. But, if this happens again I will not hesitate." He slowly turned and started walking back to the open limo door, but stopped halfway and turned back around. The girl – Velia he remembered her saying – was still there. "By the way. So you know, I'm Kyouya Ootori. It's been lovely…chatting with you Miss Vita."

Resuming her dramatic bow, she replied, "Enchanté…moron." Then she took off in a sprint down the street.

Kyouya watched her form as she ran away. He chuckled darkly. She would be an interesting one to watch for.

He climbed back into the limo and checked his phone. 7:15. _Now I'm going to be late to meet with Tamaki…great._ "Tsutomu, please continue on to Ouran. And step on it. But please, let's try to not run anyone else over."

* * *

I didn't dare look back as I darted away from the scene. I knew he was watching me; I could feel his dark gaze on my back. _Well, he's charming isn't he? _I thought to myself with a grimace. I couldn't let him ruin my morning, though, however obnoxious and self-righteous and handsome…_handsome?..._ he was. I shook my head to get the thoughts out. _Let's just finish this run and get to school. _I had changed my mind – it was going to be a long day.

* * *

I walked through my front door, out of breath from my run. "Velia?" I heard my mother call from her room upstairs.

"Ciao mama!" I called back to her as I made my way up the stairs.

"What took you so long?" she asked.

"Oh nothing, I just almost go run over by a car I'm getting in the shower now bye!" I rapidly spit out, darting into my bathroom and shutting the door. I could hear a cry of "WHAT!" as I turned on the water and stepped under the hot stream. That would be a conversation for later.

I quickly washed my hair and body, making sure I got out fast with enough time so I could dry my hair, get dressed, and put on a little makeup before I had to leave for Ouran. As I walked out of the bathroom, still wrapped in a towel, my mother was waiting outside.

"Don't think you're not going to tell me later about this almost getting run over business," she said sternly. "But in the meantime I have a surprise for you." She pulled a box out from behind her back. "When I saw the uniform dress I knew right away you would hate it."

"Hate is an understatement…" I mumbled.

"Stop mumbling or I won't give this to you."

I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for her to finish talking.

"I called the headmaster and asked if there was any other uniform option. He said females are allowed to wear the male uniform if they so desire." She handed the box over to me. I opened it and pulled out a pair of pants and a light blue blazer. "Oh thank god! I actually thought for a minute I would have to wear that monstrosity." I pulled my mother into a hug, leaning down since I was quite a bit taller than her.

"You're welcome. Now go finish getting ready. You don't want to be late on your first day." She smiled and walked back into her room.

I hurried into my adjacent room and closed the door. I quickly stripped and put the new uniform on, laughing maniacally as I dumped the other one in the trash. I straightened my tie and buttoned the blazer, then left my rom. I returned to the bathroom and dried my hair, brushed it down, then applied a small bit of concealer, powder, and mascara; just enough to look like I was wearing no makeup at all. Satisfied with how I looked, I ran downstairs and grabbed my backpack from the couch where I had thrown it the day before.

""Have a good day, ok?" my mother said to me as she leaned against the upstairs banister. "And please…be careful."

I blew a kiss to her, and winked. "Aren't I always?"

"Says the girl who almost got run over by a car this very morning?" she smirked.

"Well…that's…ugh!" I stuck my tongue out at her again. She just laughed and yelled, "Go!"

I opened the door and walked outside. Looking at my phone I saw I had about 30 minutes until school would start at 8:30. _Here we go…I guess, _and I was on my way. After the morning I had had, who knew what else the day would have in store for me.

* * *

**So, good start? Or not? What did you like? You excited to find out more? Review and let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2! Sorry it was a long update, and another sorry, it's kind of a shorter chapter. But they should be back to a normal length by Chapter 3! Also...who caught the "Enchanté...moron" in the last chapter? First person to review with where I stole that from gets a shoutout in the next chapter (and maybe later on the chance to help me create another character for the story)! So get reading and reviewing people! **

* * *

_The school is pink – _That was my first thought as I walked through the front gates. I cringed at the abhorrent color choice, wondering who in their right mind – besides Barbie – would decide a school needed to be pink?

As I walked across the grounds, I realized I was getting quite a few stares. They probably didn't get new students here that frequently…or maybe it was the fact that I was quite obviously a girl and yet I was wearing the men's uniform? Either way, their stares and quiet whispers wouldn't get to me. I was used to being talked about anyway, so this would be nothing new to handle.

I walked through the massive glass front doors, glancing around to see if there was a sign anywhere that would lead me to the headmaster's office. I couldn't locate one, so I eventually gave up and asked someone. I slowly made my way through the halls, taking in the elaborate décor, after being pointed in the correct direction. Soon enough I found his office and stepped inside, walking directly up to the receptionist's desk.

"Umm, hi? My name's Velia. Velia Vita. I'm here to pick up my schedule. I'm new," I asked, a little nervously.

"Oh Miss Vita!" I heard someone say behind me. I turned to see a man with light brown hair and brown eyes smiling at me.

"I was just going to page for you. Please come into my office," he invited, placing his hand lightly on my elbow, and then walking into a room behind the receptionist. I followed him in.

"Please, have a seat," he motioned to a chair in front of his large desk. I placed my bag on the ground and sat down, waiting for him to sit before I proceeded with any questions.

"I'm Chairman Suoh, if you hadn't already guessed." I nodded and he smiled back at me before starting to talk again.

"I must say, we don't have many students join us after their first year. It's slightly odd for this school." I must have made a face, because he quickly added, "Not that we aren't delighted to have you."

He opened a drawer from beneath his desk and rifled around for a few moments before procuring a manila folder. I could see a label with my name on it and gulped, suddenly nervous. My palms started sweating as he opened it up and read through all my paperwork.

"Everything seems good here. Let me just give you your schedule then." I let out a shaky breath as he rifled through more papers, then pulled one out and handed it over to me. "You are in my son's class. I've warned him that you're new and have asked him to guide you around for the day so you can get accustomed to the school."

The Chairman stood up and I followed suit. He walked to the door and opened it for me letting me out. "Have an enjoyable first day, Miss Vita."

"Thank you Chairman," I bowed lightly before exiting his office and walking back out into the hall. I looked around at the students milling about. Letting out another shaky breath, I pulled out the map that accompanied my schedule. **Class 2-A, Room 305. **_Now all I need to do is not get lost._

* * *

Kyouya straightened his tie as his driver let him out of his limo. "Thank you Tsutomu. I will see you back here promptly at 5, yes?" Kyouya addressed him.

"Yes, Master Kyouya," Tsutomu replied, bowing. He walked back to the driver's side, slipped into his seat, and pulled away.

Kyouya fixed the strap of his bag on his shoulder then walked towards the front entrance. Glancing at his watch he saw he was only a few minutes late to the host club meeting, but nevertheless he quickened his pace and headed straight to Music Room #3. He pulled the door open softly when he arrived, slipping in and approaching the group quietly.

"Well, it's about time Kyouya!" Hikaru jeered, nonchalantly biting at his nail. "Did you oversleep again or…." A glare from Kyouya quickly shut him up.

Sighing, Kyouya applied pressure to his forehead with two fingers, trying to ease the growing throbbing pain. "Oversleep? How could I oversleep when _someone_," **glare**, "called me at 5:30?" He walked to a nearby chair and slumped down into it, throwing his bag to the floor. "I apologize for my tardiness, however. I had a rather…unpleasant encounter on my drive here."

The room went silent as the hosts all stared at Kyouya, confused. Kyouya just sighed again and said, "You do not wish to know." When they just kept staring, he rolled his eyes, flicking his hand out then placing his palm against his face. "Can we just please carry on with the meeting?"

Rather than irritate the Shadow King any further, Tamaki turned back to the group and picked up the discussion where he had left off.

"So, I've decided out first cosplay will be Phantom of the Opera. I already purchased a lovely chandelier," he hesitantly looked to Kyouya (who just scowled), before continuing. "I, of course, will be the mysterious Phantom, and my Christine will be Haruhi!" It was Haruhi's turn to roll her eyes.

"Kyouya will be Raoul, Hikaru and Kaoru will be Andre and Firmin, the opera managers, Hunny will be Meg Giry, and Mori will be Madame, well Monsieur, Giry!" Tamaki finished, looking smug at his character choices.

After a while longer they all agreed to the casting choices and moved to what desserts and teas would be offered. Right about the time Kyouya blocked them out and started to work on the budget again. This was going to be one of the most expensive cosplays they had ever done, and he was regretting submitting to Tamaki's fancies already.

Another 20 minutes later and a bell rang, signaling it was time for them to head to class. The hosts all packed up and went their separate ways. Together, Tamaki and Kyouya started to head to room 305 for the day.

As Kyouya typed away on his cellphone, Tamaki started babbling about some new student who was going to be in their class. _A new student? _Kyouya thought, _this should be interesting._

"It's a girl, but I can't remember what my dad said her name was. Oh well, I guess we'll find out soon enough, mon ami!" Tamaki clapped Kyouya on the back. 

* * *

Well, it turned out the map was not very useful. I ended up lost pretty quickly, wandering helplessly through corridor after corridor. I mean, I found the track for later, which was a good thing. _But then again, I probably won't be able to find it again, _I thought to myself despairingly.

I heard a bell ring and saw all the students start to head to class. Not wanting to be late, I gave in and asked a nearby student where Room 305 was.

"Hey! I'm going there too! You can just walk with me," the girl replied excitedly, motioning for me to follow her.

"Thanks. I'm Velia by the way. I'm new here…if you couldn't tell," I laughed nervously, rubbing at the back of my neck.

She giggled in response. "I figured. Well, it's nice to meet you Velia! I'm Shun. If you don't mind my asking, you're not from Japan are you?"

"No, I'm from Italy. I just moved here about four months ago," I answered.

"Well, for being from Italy you speak incredible Japanese!" she complemented me.

"Thanks…again. My mom is Japanese so I grew up speaking both Japanese and Italian."

"So why did you move to Japan then?" Shun questioned me.

I looked down. It was a topic I didn't particularly like talking about. "My dad was k…he passed away." I caught myself and quickly changed my answer. I didn't think Shun caught my word fumble however, since she just looked at me sadly and offered her condolences.

"It's alright. I'm ok," I shrugged it off. I didn't want to make a big deal of it and make her suspicious.

"Well, here we are!" We turned a corner and she pulled the first door on the right open. I followed her into the classroom. "You can sit by me if you want!" She invited. I smiled and nodded my head. I could see myself getting along with her quite well.

We walked together to a pair of desks roughly in the middle of the classroom and off to the side, by the windows. We set our bags down and continued our conversation. I learned her dad was a famous surgeon, her mom was an athlete, and that they met when he had to perform surgery on her knee. That led to me asking what sport her mother did, and finding out her mother was an Olympic sprinter for Japan.

"Oh cool! I'm a sprinter too! I'm actually going to join the track team here," I added.

"No way! I sprint too! But you probably guessed that, considering my mother is an Olympic runner," she giggled again. Our conversation turned to running; we talked until the classroom was almost filled and class was about to start.

My back was to the door, and I wasn't particularly interested in people watching as the students filed in, so I didn't bother turning around every time the door flew open. But as the door opened one more time, and Shun let out a little squeal, I twisted my head around to see what had made her so excited.

I saw a rather attractive blonde guy, who smiled then leaned over to talk to the guy next to him, and…

"Oh hell no. Really?"

* * *

"Ready for another year my dear friend?" Tamaki asked cheerfully as the pair of hosts stood outside Room 305.

"Let's just get this over with already," Kyouya replied, his migraine worsening.

Tamaki pushed open the door, holding it open for Kyouya to follow. They heard the chorus of giggles and squeals upon their entrance, which they had since grown accustomed to. Tamaki smiled, flashing the mob his signature grin. Leaning over to Kyouya he whispered, "I wonder which one is the new student?"

**"Oh hell no. Really?"**

Kyouya looked up, straight into the eyes of one Velia Vita. He sighed. "Well, we found her."

* * *

**And they meet again! **

**What do you think is going to happen when they talk again?**

**As always, Review and let me know what y'all think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! Long time no see (write?) I apologize for how long it has taken me to update this. Finals kind of got in the way. **

**Shoutout to ****musepro**** who was the first (and only) person to correctly review with where I stole "Enchanté...moron" from. It was from the Ouran High School Host Club bloopers. If you haven't watched those yet, you really should because they are hilarious. So go search for the video on youtube. Well, that is after you read this chapter!**

* * *

Tamaki looked back and forth between Kyouya and the new girl, confusion apparent across his face.

"Umm…Kyouya? Do you know her?" he finally gave in and asked.

Looking frustrated, Kyouya replied, "You remember me being late this morning, correct? Well, you are looking at the reason why."

Across the room, Velia looked like she was about to start banging her head against the nearest wall.

"You ok there, Velia?" Shun waved a hand in front of her new friend's face.

Velia growled and then said, "I might have had a run-in with Prince Snooty-Pants over there this morning." She thumbed over in the direction of Kyouya. "But before we get to that…why did you squeal when they came in? Is there something oh so special about them?"

Shun giggled nervously. "Oh, you'll find out eventually. And don't look now, but they're walking this way."

Velia sighed, dropping her head down against her desk.

"Excuse me princess, but my father the chairm…" Tamaki began, but was cut off when Velia's head snapped back up from the desk.

"Woah, woah, back up. What did you just call me?"

Tamaki paled, "Umm…princess?"

"Ha, yeah, don't call me that again. Ever," she smiled sinisterly.

Tamaki moved so he was cowering behind Kyouya, who in turn sneered at Velia, leaning forward onto her desk to speak. He opened his mouth, but once again Velia spoke up, cutting him off.

"And you…you just don't even talk to me. I'm not getting started with you again. Now, excuse me, class is starting. So would you kindly remove your hand from my desk and move along?" She picked her hand up, flicking her wrist in a "shooing" motion.

By this point, the entire room had fallen silent and was watching the showdown. Even the teacher, who had entered moments earlier, was stock-still and viewing the pair with morbid curiosity. Eventually though, he cleared his throat signaling the start of class.

Mouth still agape, Kyouya straightened back up, and with one last glare he and the still-cowering Tamaki walked as far across the room as they could to take their seats.

* * *

My heart was racing. _Why, of all people, does HE have to be at this school and in MY class?_ I pulled my notebook out of my bag, along with a pencil, and started taking notes on what the teacher was lecturing. So far it was mostly formalities about the new school term, so I drifted off, my thoughts turning to my first track practice that would be held later that day – that is until a piece of paper flopped onto my notebook. I looked to my right and saw Shun flicking her head in the direction of the paper. I scooted forward in my chair and picked up the carefully folded note, reading the neatly written message.

**What was that all about? Not that I minded. It was kind of funny to see them all flustered. By the way, Prince Snooty-Pants? I was cracking up. **

I put my pencil to the paper, immediately responding.

**_Like I said. I had a literal run-in with him this morning. I went for a run. He almost ran me over in his limo. I used my awesome wit and sarcasm on him. He threatened to have me arrested. Normal morning, right?_**

I tossed the paper back onto Shun's desk and watched as she read my words. She tried to hold in a giggle as she penned her response and then eagerly handed our correspondence back to me.

**Ha! Well, I guess I should let you know a little about them. Those two are Tamaki Suoh and Kyouya Ootori, two of the infamous school hosts. They are Pres and VP respectively of the host club. All the girls love them. There are 5 other hosts, too, but you don't really need to know all their names. At least not right now.**

She reached out and dropped the note on my desk once more. I quickly read it over. _A host club? Really? Rich girls fawning over rich guys. These people all have too much time on their hands. _ I rolled my eyes at her, and then pointed at my notebook, signifying I was going back to taking notes. She shrugged then mouthed to me, "Lunch." I nodded back.

The rest of the class period went fairly smoothly, although I swear Kyouya's eyes were burning into the back of my head for the majority of the hour. Finally the bell tolled, the teacher moved on – soon to be replaced with our next lecturer – and we were allowed a few moments of break.

"So, your first class is officially over. What did you think?" Shun asked me, casually sitting back on her desk as she stretched.

"Nothing terrible, but then again it is the first day. I've always been a fairly good student though, so this doesn't seem like anything I can't handle," I replied.

"Oh before I forget," Shun exclaimed, looking me over, "I meant to ask earlier, why are you wearing the men's uniform?"

"Have you seen what _you're_ wearing?" I looked incredulously back.

She twirled slightly where she stood. "What? I think this is kind of cute!"

I giggled. "Well maybe on you. But it's a little too…umm…frou-frou for me."

Shun sighed. "I suppose you're right. I've only known you for what, two hours, and I still couldn't picture you in this."

We continued our small talk for the next five minutes as our second teacher hurried in and wrote an introduction on the board. Moments later she dropped the chalk back onto the holder then clapped her hands, finished. I sent one last smile to Shun as we sat back in our seats.

"Welcome class. I am Miss Chie, and I will be your Language and Literature teacher for the year. To start today, I will be breaking you into pairs. You will interview your partner, based on a questionnaire I will be providing, and then over the next two days you will write a report based on the information gathered."

The class collectively groaned as Miss Chie picked up her class roster and started calling out names.

"Hiro and Katashi…Toshiaki and Shizuko…Shun and Tamaki…"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shun beaming.

"…Megumi and Daichi…Eri and Naoki…Velia and Kyouya…"

Dammit.

* * *

"…Eri and Naoki…Velia and Kyouya…"

Kyouya grit his teeth, his nails digging into the flesh of his palms as he clenched and unclenched his fists. He could practically hear Velia fuming from across the room, and he was no happier with the arrangement than she.

Miss Chie clapped her hands again, snapping Kyouya's attention back to the front of the room. "Please find your partners and wait for further instructions."

Kyouya grudgingly picked up his bag and approached Velia, who had made no apparent indication she was going to move. He placed his bag down gently next to the seat directly in front of Velia, turning the chair around so that he faced her. He procured his tablet from his bag, pulling the stylus free and opening his notes application. Velia, by this moment in time, had still yet to acknowledge his presence. He cleared his throat, hoping she would respond, but Velia just yawned and looked over his shoulder to the clock on the wall. Kyouya tried clearing his throat again, looking around at the other groups who were all amiably chatting about the project.

Finally, Velia sighed and opened her notebook. "Let's just get this over with."

"I know neither you nor I are very thrilled with this pairing, but for the sake of our grades let us please make a deal to at least be relatively cordial until this project has concluded," Kyouya offered reasonably.

Sighing again, Velia nodded. "Whatever Your Highness."

Kyouya clenched his teeth. "Please start by not calling me 'Your Highness'. Kyouya is quite fine."

The teacher walked by at that moment with the handout, passing two off to Kyouya and Velia. They each skimmed the paper quickly. Velia set hers down next to her notebook, picking up her pencil. "Alright, who's going to start?"

"It does not matter to me. Why don't we take turns asking?"

"Fine. Let's start simple. How many siblings do you have?" Velia picked a random question from the list.

"Three. I have two older brothers, and an older sister. How about you? Do you have any siblings?" Kyouya answered, then asked in return.

"No. I'm an only child. Have you lived here your entire life?"

"Yes, I have." Pause. "Considering this morning you told me you are new here, and judging by your accent, I am assuming you are from Italy?" Kyouya guessed.

He watched as Velia bit at her lower lip. He furrowed his brows; was she nervous about something? Some tense seconds passed before she replied, "Yes. I am from Italy."

"Why did you move to Japan then?" Kyouya asked, genuinely curious.

Velia scowled. "That's not a question from the list. Please, let's move on."

Kyouya made a note to find more information on her later, then the pair continued their back-and-forth interview until the bell cut them off. Kyouya stowed his tablet in his bag then proceeded to stand up. "Since we have not finished the list, should we meet some time to continue?"

She sighed, examining her fingernails. "If we must."

"Are you free at the end of the school day? You may drop by Music Room #3 and we can continue there?" Kyouya suggested.

"I have practice actually…" she paused to think. "Why don't I just email you the rest of my answers?"

"That will do I suppose," he said as he pulled a piece of paper from a folder. He jotted down his email address and handed it to her.

"Thanks. I'll email you as soon as possible," Velia folded the paper up, shoving it into her bag.

As Kyouya turned and walked away, Velia let out a sigh and slumped back into her chair.

Outside the classroom, Kyouya walked towards the break room, his mind swirling with questions that all revolved around the new girl.

* * *

I managed to avoid Kyouya for the rest of the day, fortunately. The questionnaire was making me more than nervous. No matter how trivial the questions, it was still digging into my past and that would only end badly.

The last bell chimed and I leapt from my seat, revitalized with the notion of the upcoming track practice. I darted towards the door, leaving a confused Shun in my dust. But as I passed through the doorway I stopped, realizing I had once again no clue where I was going.

Shun approached me, giggling. "Need some help finding the track?"

I blushed. "Am I that predictable?"

"Oh just come on! We're going to be late if we dawdle any longer!" she readjusted her bag before starting down the hallway. As we walked, she pointed out various important classrooms. Finally she pushed open a door that led us outside. I breathed in the fresh air and the scent of freshly cut grass. The track stood before us, neat and clean and totally ready for me to run on. I started bouncing excitedly in anticipation. Next to me, Shun rolled her eyes and grabbed me by the crook of my arm, dragging me towards the women's locker room. We changed quickly into similar running gear, pulling on our running shoes, grabbing our spikes and water bottles before heading out.

A small group of people were waiting and already stretching when we walked onto the black synthetic rubber track. Shun ran over to greet them, leaving me to casually meander over after her. She was talking warmly with them when I finally reached the circle.

"Hey, this is Velia! She just moved here and today is her first day at Ouran, so be nice to her. Or else!" Shun threatened halfheartedly. I laughed and waved as Shun pulled me into their conversation. It felt nice to be welcomed in so effortlessly, and I knew right away I would make some fast (pun intended) friends.

* * *

Kyouya had dashed to Music Room #3 as soon as the last bell of the day had rung. When the other hosts arrived, he was already inside, typing furiously on his computer. His fingers flew meticulously across the keyboard, pounding at the keys as if there were a correlation between his severity and his productivity. Suddenly, he slammed the lid down, yelling and startling the remaining hosts.

"Damn!"

Tamaki inched tentatively towards his enraged friend. "Umm, Kyouya? Is everything alright?"

Kyouya took a calming breath, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "No Tamaki, everything is not alright."

Tamaki placed a soft hand on Kyouya's shoulder. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Sighing Kyouya faced the group of his curious friends and said, "It is the new girl, Velia Vita. I don't think she exists."

* * *

**What does he mean she doesn't exist? Find out next time**

**A/N: For any of you who are reading my other story, "Silence is Golden", I haven't forgotten about it...I've just kind of gotten writer's block with the most recent chapter. I can't seem to get it right. But I assure you, I will release it soon!**

**Hop you enjoyed this, and as always please review!**


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